The Lookout Mountain Blog

Thursday, July 27, 2017

Summertime is all
about the outdoors, right? Being in tourism we get to see firsthand the
thousands of people who are coming from all around the country and the world to
visit just to see our beautiful scenery and participate in our exquisite
outdoor playground. They are camping, they are in hotels, B&B’s and rental
cabins. They come here to hike, see waterfalls and explore the wilderness. At
the same time our nine summer camps are crowded with kids doing outdoor sports,
hiking, horse riding and having outdoor cookouts and parents who come and spend
the weekend with us when delivering kids and again when picking them up. The
summer camps in DeKalb County are critical to our summer tourism business.

This year we are
enjoying a very lush green summer with temperatures that have been mostly under
90 for most of the season, thus far. Our appeal has always been the outdoors
and we are focusing more and more on the outdoorsy; Generation X and
Millenial's who are really into adventure sports, hiking, biking, rappelling,
kayaking, rock climbing, and yes they like a good meal with a cold beer after a
day in nature. This is where our communities come in. Generation X and
Millenial's like entertainment and good food and drinks. They prioritize
spending their travel dollars on experiences that include good food, music and
a cool looking environment to do it in. Vintage 1889 restaurant, bar and
entertainment venue in Fort Payne is in a historic building with interior brick
walls, it exemplifies the experience these two generations are looking for.

Our area over the last 30 years has greatly attracted the
Baby Boomer generation. They had the income and the desire to travel. They
loved Bed and Breakfast lodges, camping and renting cabins to relax and hang
their feet of the porch railing. The Baby Boomers were affluent, well employed
and equipped with full time jobs and great vacation time and they were eager to
travel and see our country and the world. In my first several years in tourism,
2008 through 2012 the “Boomers” still spent the most money traveling and they
were our bread and butter for tourism to DeKalb. That has and is gradually
changing as many Baby Boomers lost retirement money in collapsing companies or
during the great recession. Income loss along with aging the oldest Boomers
(1946-1964) now in their early 70’s are traveling less and spending less
money, as a whole. In the meantime the Generation X and Millennial have
surpassed the Boomers in income wealth, and travel expenditures. The
Millennial’s are especially interested in experiences over material items and
they tend to travel more, eat at better restaurants and spend more on vacations
and less on houses, furniture and other household items. It is our job in
tourism to change how we market our area to fit the generation that is willing
to come spend time with us. This is why at all of our annual tourism training
seminars and symposiums there is always a guest speaker that is an expert on
generational marketing. It is critical to our long term growth to offer a
tourism portfolio that fits the visitor demographic that is interested in
coming to our area.

Thus far we are having a very successful summer tourism
season. Our lodging numbers are up and so are the headcounts at our major local
events and at our area parks. We feel we have a great future for tourism in our
area. It will be important that we along with our community leaders and
business entrepreneurs adjust their offerings to visitors to meet the changing
demographics of the ever changing generations.

Friday, July 21, 2017

As seen on HGTV, in Southern Living, Country Living, USA
Today, Newsweek, The Tonight Show and more!

If you’re looking for a unique and entertaining road trip
this summer, you won’t find a better choice than the World’s Longest Yard Sale
along Highway 127 and the Lookout Mountain Parkway. From August 3rd
to August 6th, you’ll find hundreds of yard sale vendors ready to
supply you with treasures you’ve always wanted, trinkets you never knew you
needed, and tons of fun along the way!

Running from Gadsden, Alabama, to Addison, Michigan, this
four-day event covers more than 690 miles of scenic
beauty, plus tons of yard sale bargains and treasures.

Get started on along the 93-mile
Lookout Mountain Parkway route from Gadsden, Alabama to Chattanooga, Tennessee
for the most "scenic rural America" in the United States. There are
more than one thousand yard sale vendors in Alabama alone, offering everything
from antiques, collectibles, furniture, dishwares, fresh garden produce,
homemade jams and jellies, food vendors, live entertainment, and much more.

The yard sale continues along
the U.S. 127 Corridor from Chattanooga to Addison, Michigan with another 590
miles of yard sale bargains. In total, the Lookout Mountain Parkway and
the 127 Corridor have had as many as 5,000 vendors lined along the route in
years past, and the 2017 event promises to be even bigger.

Make a Long Weekend of It

If you're a yard sale enthusiast, you already know that the best picking happens early. To get on the road as early as possible, the folks in DeKalb County, Alabama invite you to spend the night in one of hte area's many bed and breafast inns or state park facilities. You'll also find cabin rentals in Historic Mentone, along with other motels and unique accommodations located within minutes of the yard sale route.

The yard sale officially
begins at the Noccalula Falls Park in Gadsden, Alabama, on top of Lookout Mountain. Follow
Tabor Road, across from Noccalula Falls. Stay on this road (it will
become Alabama 176), and follow it into the Dogtown Community. Stay
straight through the 4-way stop, and the road then becomes DeKalb County
89.

Stay on 89 through
communities such as Five Points, Fort Payne, Fischer, DeSoto State Park
and on into Mentone, Alabama.

From Mentone, turn right
onto Alabama 117 and follow into Georgia where it becomes Georgia Road 48.
You will stay straight a short distance before turning left on GA 157,
then left on 136, right on 189 then right on 157 again.

This takes you directly
in front of Rock City where you travel down Lookout Mountain and pick up
TN 27 to the U.S. 127 Corridor for the remainder of the yard sale, where
it ends in Hudson, MI.

(The road winds around a
little in Chattanooga as you make your way to the 127 Corridor. Follow
Ochs Hwy. off of Lookout Mountain to Tennessee Ave. to Broad St. to Hwy 27
to the U.S. Hwy. 127)

If you’re traveling
north to south,
simply reverse these directions. Although the Yard Sale officially goes
from Gadsden, Alabama, to Addison, Michigan, feel free to jump on board
anywhere in between. Lots of treasures and antiques await you from one end
to the other and all points along the way.

Helpful Suggestions Along the Way

• Be ready to bring home your treasures. Drive a large car,
so you won’t have to pass on oversized items that catch your eye.

• Be prepared for the sun and the heat. Bring items such as
sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat, and mosquito repellant to protect yourself from
the elements. Remember, the sun can roast you even on a cloudy day.

• Be prepared to walk. Wear comfortable shoes and drink
plenty of fluids. It is usually very warm (ok, technically, hot) and all the
walking and activities can drain you if you aren’t diligent about hydration!

• Be on time… or better yet, be early! Though there
are hundreds of vendors who sell sun-up to after sundown, you’ll be competing
with thousands of other shoppers. And as with any yard sale, the good stuff
goes fast.

• Be cautious of other vehicles. Like you, everyone has one
eye on the yard sales, and most vehicles will make frequent, unexpected stops.
You’ll also see plenty of folks walking along the roadside, so watch for
pedestrians.

Friday, July 14, 2017

Did you know that the
Appalachian Mountains stretch all the way from southeastern Canada to central
Alabama? That means that you can enjoy some of the most beautiful and exciting
outdoor activities in the country… right here in northeast Alabama.

There are lots of great ways
to get outdoorsy in Alabama, but the best ones immerse you in the sights,
sounds, and smells of the lush landscape. So this summer, instead of the
traditional road trip, spend a little time outside. Whether on foot, on
horseback, or on the water, you’ll want to get as close to this gorgeous
greenery as possible.

Here are just a few of the
folks who can help you make sure your outdoor adventure is a safe, fun learning
experience for everyone:

One World Adventure Company,
based in Fort Payne, offers their expert skills to help you create an
unforgettable adventure experience for your family, your coworkers, your class,
or your church. Its founders, Bill and Angie Shugart, are committed to collaborating
and teaching to help others discover themselves and their own abilities while
having a great time in the process.

Regardless of your group’s
objectives – having a blast, helping others, setting and meeting healthy
challenges, or simply making progress personal growth – One World has an
adventure program for you. It’s ideal for teachers, college students,
rehabilitation centers, church youth groups, and couples’ groups. One World
offer curriculum enhancement, charter education and service learning programs
for both traditional and home school programs, as well as service/adventure
packages for faith-based organizations. You can even customize your own
adventure for yourself or your family from a half-day to five days of guided
adventure.

One World draws from a
variety of outdoor activities – including hiking, canoeing, rock climbing,
kayaking, rappelling, camping, and outdoor skills classes – so you can
customize your experience to meet your group’s needs. They even have
onsite facilities for overnight stays; on site you’ll find a rustic main lodge
and two cottages, providing accommodations for up to 22 people, complete with
private baths in each room.

The program operates from
April through November and even offers a summer day camp for ages 7 to 10 and
ages 11 to 14.

True Adventure
Sports For the more adventurous souls, True Adventure Sports is your outdoor
recreational partner. Located just a mile outside Little River Canyon National
preserve, they offer partnership and supervision for outdoor adventures,
classes, and guided tours, as well as gear and lodging in northeast Alabama.True Adventure Sports offers classes and certifications in a
variety of outdoor activities including rappelling, climbing, and rigging. In
addition, you can also work toward certification in emergency response, with
classes in confined space rescue, SAR Training, vertical rope rescue,
catastrophe class, and swift water rescue. The wilderness school features land
navigation, survival training, and wilderness boot camp.This quest go-to also offers paddling class and seminars in
practical ingenuity, a curriculum designed to develop problem-solving skills
that are applicable to every situation from mechanical to business and
everything in between.

Of course, True Adventure
also provides gear for your own outdoor activities like rock climbing,
rappelling, zip-lining, camping, canoeing, and kayaking. They even provide
shoes, clothing, and snacks along with guided trips, lessons, and
team-building exercises for groups or individuals. To further up your adventure
ante, you can even rent scooters to explore local Lookout Mountain attractions,
too!

In addition, 20 percent of
all True Adventures proceeds goes toward its missions. Contact True Adventure
Sports directly at 256-997-9577 or
by E-Mail.

These are just a couple of ways you can explore the great
outdoors in the foothills of the Appalachians. It’s summertime in Alabama… get
out there and enjoy it before football season begins!

Wednesday, July 12, 2017

We have a big week coming up on the south end of Fort Payne this week as two new restaurants will have their Grand Openings! The new Applebee's restaurant is located at 111 Airport Road W in the Dunham's parking lot and is set to open on Monday, July 17th. The new Chick-fil-a restaurant is located at 1824 Glenn Blvd SW (in the old Ryan's location) and will open their doors tomorrow, July 13th. Part of their tradition, that dates back to 2003, is to host a First 100 Camp Out Giveaway the day before where customers can stand in line for the 24 hours prior to opening and the the First 100
participants at the Camp Out on July 12th that meet requirements will
receive a grand prize of one Chick-fil-A sandwich meal per week for a
year (equating to 52 meals). So get your cot, sleeping bag and plenty of water to beat this heat and head on over to hold your place in line and hopefully a FREE Chick-fil-A meal for the next 52 weeks!

About Me

Lookout Mountain Alabama & DeKalb County are full of many delightful surprises, all waiting to be discovered. It is a place to enjoy the sights and sounds of all four seasons. Springtime brings a renewal to the mountainous terrain as first the Redbud and Dogwood announce their arrival in a showy display of purple and white flowers. Then the hills come to life with blooms of pink and fuschia colored Rhododendron. Mountain Laurel and Wild Azalea blossoms adorn her side. Summer brings children squealing with delight as they frolic and play at the many summer camps in Mentone. Autumn on Lookout Mountain is gloriously adorned in her beautiful array of fall colors. Scenic drives beckon you along the Lookout Mountain Parkway, through Desoto State Park & Little River Canyon & across Sand Mountain to DeKalb County Public Fishing Lake, High Falls Park & Buck's Pocket State Park. Winter drifts in as downtown shoppers get ready for Christmas and the novice and those eager to learn hone their skills at Cloudmont Ski & Golf Resort. Beautiful scenery is yours to enjoy as you visit the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in DeKalb County, Alabama.